Burial-vault.



Patented October 13, 1903.

r'r nrIcE.

CHARLES F. SURFACE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO VAN CAMP BURIAL VAULT COMPANY, OFINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A COR- PORATION OF INDIANA.

BURIAL- VAULT.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,384, dated October 1 3, 1903.

Application filed December 24,1902. Serial No. 136,457. (No model.)

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. SURFACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burial -Vaults, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a steel interlining for cement burial-vaults, the construction being such that the several portions of the steel lining may, if desired, be introduced after the major portion of the cement vault has been constructed, the portions of the steel lining being secured together by internal means, which cannot be detached from the exterior after the parts have been once assembled.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section; Fig. 2, a plan of the bottom slabs of the common form of cement vault with a portion of my improvement incorporated therein; Fig. 3, a plan of the bottom plate of the lining.

In the drawings, 10 10 indicate the bottom slabs of the usual well-known form of a burialvault, 11 11 indicate the side walls, and 12 the top. Embedded in the bottom slabs 10 and projecting from the upper face thereof are studs 13, which are preferably connected by bars 14:, embedded in the slabs 10. The bottom plate 15 of the metallic lining is of a size substantially equal to the size of the bottom of the wall between the side and end walls and is provided with a plurality of openings 16, through which studs 13 may project when the plate is laid in position upon the bottom of the vault. Secured to the projecting end of each stud 13 (a screw-threaded connection, as shown, is probably the most convenient) is a spring-catch 17. The upper portion of the metallic lining is an open-bottomed box, consisting of side walls 18, end walls 19, and top 20, which fits within the side and end walls of the vault. The side walls carry projections 21, which are adapted to be forced beneath thefree endsof catches 17, the box-like casing being thus held in position.

In operation after the grave is dug the coment vault is formed within the grave in any well-known manner, the studs 13 being embedded in the bottom at the time of formation of the vault or having been embedded in the previously-formed bottom slabs. The bottom plate 15 is then placed in position, with the studs 13 projecting through the perforations 16, and the spring catches 17 then mounted in position. The casket is then lowered into the vault and the box-like cover put down over the same, the projections 21 forcing the spring-catches 17 inward until the cover reaches the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the spring-catches move outward above the projections 21, and thus serve to lock the box-like metallic cover in position over the casket without possibility of displacement. Thereupon the top slabs 12 are placed in position and the whole vault sealed in the usual manner. The bottom plate 15 may be omitted, if desired.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination with a cement vault, of a metallic lining for the bottom thereof, internal fastening means for detachably securing said plate to the vault bottom, a metallic lining for the remainder of the vault, and means for internally connecting the several portions of the metallic lining.

2. In a burial-vault, the combination with a cement vault lugs embedded in the bottom thereof and projecting from the upper face, a metallic plate to rest upon the bottom of the vault and provided with perforations through which said lugs may project, spring-catches detachably secured to the upper ends of said lugs, and a box-like metallic lining provided with internal projections adapted to be engaged by said catches.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 0th day of December, A. D. 1902.

CHARLES F. SURFACE. 

